Education Leaders’ Network | Forum Strategy
As a new academic year begins with much anticipation, hope and opportunity ahead – as well as plenty of continuing challenges to address – we thought it would be helpful to share some key developments of relevance in your role as an education leader (including directors of education, school improvement and headteachers).
National Education Leaders Network Meetings
There will be two Education Leaders’ national network meetings in the Autumn term; the first online on 25th September 9am-11am and the second, in-person at Colwick Hall, Nottingham on 12th November (all day). Our network meetings will be chaired by Frank Norris MBE and offer a great opportunity to receive timely updates on the national education landscape – including key and essential policy developments, hear from guest expert speakers on school improvement and education issues, share your own priorities and challenges and connect with network members across the country. Please save these dates in your diaries
Consultancy support through Forum Strategy
As you begin a new academic year, you may be thinking ahead to key strategic areas where you would benefit from some high-quality external expertise. At Forum Strategy, we offer a range of consultancy support services ranging from vision and strategy development days and board development days to executive coaching and CEO mentoring, as well as expertise in a number of other critical areas (such as trust-wide SEND reviews, attendance strategy support and employer of choice strategy development). Please email us at admin@forumstrategy.org to explore this further.
Improvement at Scale: Access our Hub
We know that continuous improvement remains a key priority for you as Education Leaders and you will be thinking ahead to how this is driven forward across your trusts for this coming academic year and beyond. Our improvement at scale hub, brings together our wide range of resources, developed over a number of years, drawing on education experts as well as cross-sector perspectives, and also includes a growing range of case studies from trusts who are leading this well: Improvement at Scale Hub I Forum Strategy
Accountability
Discussions around accountability reform are very much live and ongoing and we will likely see some significant changes in this space in future. Meanwhile, there are still significant elements around accountability that should be trust driven (alongside the national landscape) and is within your control as trust leaders to shape. Our ‘Pure Accountability: In Practice Guide’ offers reflections and suggestions around how trust leaders can help to shape a more meaningful approach to accountability. Alongside this, network chair Frank Norris, wrote this article for us last year around how we can reshape our view of impact and accountability through generating contextual wisdom: How contextual wisdom helps us to reshape our view of impact and accountability I Forum Strategy
Addressing the challenge of falling pupil numbers
Falling pupil numbers are emerging as a significant pressing strategic challenge across the sector, with wide-reaching implications for school and trust sustainability, resource planning, and long-term growth now and in the future. In this session, developed specifically for trust leaders, we explored how trusts can respond proactively and strategically – drawing on both national evidence and lived experience in the sector.
We heard from Michael Scott, Senior Economist at the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) and Catherine Lester, Executive Director (Growth and Development) for LEO Academy Trust, who shared their insights and learning to support trust leaders to plan ahead for this growing issue: How trust leaders can address the challenge of falling pupil numbers I Forum Strategy
Addressing issues around attendance, behaviour and mental health
We know that continuing issues and challenges around attendance, behaviour and mental health for children and young people, remain a top priority for education leaders across trusts. Our range of articles and inputs in these areas will support your continued learning around and strategic approach to these issues across your trust – here is a selection from our collection:
- Developing an effective trust wide behaviour strategy and approach I Forum Strategy
- Leading equity and belonging in schools and trusts
- The Wider Perspective: how we’re working with trust leaders to revolutionise children and young people’s wellbeing
- Fairfax Multi Academy Trust’s Journey to Improving Attendance and Engagement
- How trust leaders can work with and support parents around attendance
Dates for your diary
We continue to add events to our members events page throughout the year so please keep an eye on our page here: Events page I Forum Strategy Our national network meeting dates have been set well in advance and can be viewed on this same page (just scroll to the bottom).
Wider networks through Forum Strategy
We also run two other highly successful national networks for trust leaders – one for CEOs and one for COOs and operations leaders. The feedback these networks receive in terms of inspiring, informing and supporting colleagues in these roles is exceptional, and if you are keen to support investment in your executive team members this year, please do share links to these networks with them.
We hope this is helpful and we look forward to working with you in the weeks and months ahead.
For those Education Directors, School Improvement Leaders, and headteachers who aren’t part of the National Education Leaders network, you can find our more here: Education Leaders’ Network | Forum Strategy
Best wishes
